Katie Laurie on Django II over the water jump.

© Michelle Terlato Photography

Game changer day for the jumpers in Herning

By Claudia Keech OAM

Round 1 of the second competition for the Agria FEI World Jumping Championship event, in Herning, Denmark showed from the outset it was going to be a game changer, with a relatively reasonable, but slightly tighter, time allowance of 86 seconds. The few early clear rounds, for many of international athletes, resulted in time faults.

But then again, the challenging height of 1.65m and some of the more technical aspects of this intentionally built Olympic standard course, was intended to create a massive shift in today's Championships.

Sitting in the stands, a level of carnage unfolded today, with the success stories of Day One leaving the arena with sometimes three fences or more down and between 12-33 faults. It saw no less than three riders and horses crash through fences, leaving riderless horses galloping the field until the shock of the loss of their rider had dissipated. Fortunately, there were no injuries of note reported.

However, emotions of the audience and respective cheer teams for different countries were constantly challenged as their favourite riders faulted unexpectedly, on so many occasions.

The Australians

Billy Raymont jumped first. Another great round, with Black Jack IXE flying as per yesterday on Day One of the championships, but two fences went down and the seemingly impossible occurred, when a tiny but unmistakable splash showed at the water jump – resulting in a total of 12 faults for the round, with no time faults.

Billy Raymont on Black Jack IXE over the Nyhaven Village facades oxer.

© Michelle Terlato Photography

James Arkins and Eurostar 1 jumped second for Australia. Both looked in top form. A delay to start was created by the double being completely annihilated by a prior competitor, including breaking one of the rails. This saw James spend a little more time waiting for the jumps to be rebuilt and the clock to start.

However, Eurostar and James gave the air of a perfect round, with rider and horse as one. Yet three fences went down, and he too left the arena with a total of 12 faults (no time faults).

James Arkins and Eurostar 1.

© Michelle Terlato Photography

By the time the third jumpers for each team were due to compete, it had become a day where the crowd went wild for anyone, no matter the team, who managed a clear round. A sigh of relief or an exhale of a held breathe went through the stadium, as any rider jumped clear.

It was obvious this was a Championship event with an Olympic level course. The degree of difficulty and height of the fences, was intended to filter out even some of the world’s long-term greatest riders, whose teams subsequently did not make it to the finals being held tomorrow evening, on Friday August 11th.

Katie Laurie and Django II entered the arena as our third member of Team Australia. Katie was aware that there had been a high level of time faults and fences down from the first competitors in the team competition. Again, as per yesterday, Katie rode a steady course with a need to re-check Django on a couple of turns. Katie exited the arena with 9 faults, incurred by both time and two fences down.

Hilary Scott on Oaks Milky Way.

© Michelle Terlato Photography

Hilary Scott and Oaks Milky Way were next. As a great team, a unit, bonded since Milky was born, she started and rode what seemed like a strong round. Yet three fences went down and Hilary incurred 12 faults (no time faults).

By the end of the event, it was Katie in 63rd place on 14.16, Billy in 76th place on 16.63, Hilary in 77th place on 17.11, and James in 78th place on 17.71. The Australian team finished in 20th. Unfortunately, only the top ten teams and top 60 individuals progress to Round 2 of the second competition. Individually, Katie was so, so close to riding again!

Had I not sat in the stands for the day watching so many fences fall, riders fall, as well as riders choosing to retire, I may have been confused as to how our entire  team incurred faults.

Yet many of the combinations who made it through, did not deliver flawless rounds. Some team members managed clear rounds and others just fewer faults today, which when added to yesterday's faults, gave them a score which left Australia and many other teams out of the finals.

This evening, I think back on the incredible jumping I saw from all nations. I too applauded any rider who managed a clear round. I also applauded those who incurred just a few faults.

The last competitors of the day, with the advantage of seeing the challenges of the course, as well as being the very cream of the international equestrian world, did deliver many beautifully ridden, flawless rounds.

But as mentioned, some of the best did not make it through as a team.

Being here in Herning for the Australian Team has been a total pleasure for Equestrian Life. The talent, skill, as well as the camaraderie seen over the past few days of our team, has been a total winner. The number of Aussie supporters who turned up in Denmark to cheer on our team was outstanding.

For Team Australia, the bonding of the team and the camaraderie were obvious. The support the team members gave each other was both visible and brilliant. In hindsight, it's this sort of sportsmanship which contributed to the Team having a Championship and even a great day today, over a really tough course.

Australia had one of the youngest teams, but larger than life talent which helped show what they are all made of at these Championships. The experience for the younger members of the team has been a giant step toward the next major event, where all four will be seen again competing and winning in Europe, Australia, the USA and Canada.... with an eye on the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

Congrats to Team Australia!

Read more about the Aussie jumping team in the August issue of Equestrian Life here.

Read the FEI report below to see how the other countries fared on Thursday....

No change at the top as emotions run high on second day of Jumping Championship

By Louise Parkes

It was a roller-coaster day at the Agria FEI Jumping World Championships in Herning, Denmark Thursday, but the two leading nations and the two leading individuals after the opening competition maintained their positions. So Sweden heads France going into Friday night’s team medal decider and Frenchman, Julien Epaillard, is holding Britain’s Scott Brash at bay in the individual rankings.

Another superb course designed by Dutchman Louis Konickx separated the top ten nations from all the rest, so joining the Swedes and French Friday evening in the team finale will be Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Switzerland, Canada, Ireland and Brazil. It was touch-and-go all day with the team placings constantly changing, and the USA missed the cut when finishing eleventh of the 22 competing countries despite a great performance from McLain Ward and Contagious who produced the only American clear round.

Team Belgium was lying third as the action began and could have been badly shaken by the elimination of Jos Verlooy for a fall from Igor who stopped in the triple combination. But Peter Weinberg’s “Never Give Up” team lived up to their motto, and with a foot-perfect run from Jerome Guery (Quel Homme de Hus) and just single errors from both pathfinder Nicola Philippaerts (Katanga vh Dingeshof) and anchorman Gregory Wathelet (Nevados S) they only dropped two places to fifth.

Clears form Marcus Ehning (Stargold) and Andre Thieme (DSP Chakaria) saw Germany move up to third with only four faults to add to their scoreline while Maikel van der Vleuten (Beauvilel Z) and Jur Vrieling (Long John Silver) did likewise to leave The Netherlands in fourth.

Rocky day

The British had a rocky day, stalwarts Ben Maher (Faltic HB) and Scott Brash (Hello Jefferson) steadying the ship when relatively new recruits Joseph Stockdale (Equine America Cacharel) and Harry Charles (Romeo 88) faltered. In contrast Team Canada, lying twelfth as the day began, put in a really gutsy performance with zero scores from both Beth Underhill (Nikka vd Bisschop) and Tiffany Foster (Figor) and just single errors for Erynn Ballard (Gakhir) and Amy Millar (Truman) to put themselves right into the reckoning when moving up to eighth.

The spirit in the Canadian camp is infectious. The all-female team are completely in synch as they give it their all for Chef d’Equipe Eric Lamaze who announced earlier this year he would retire from the saddle due to health issues. Watching the 2008 Olympic champion support his ladies from the Kiss and Cry this week has been highly entertaining as he jumps every fence with them and feels every emotion.

“The energy coming from him is unbelievable!”, said Tiffany Foster after her second great ride of the week which sees her holding fifth place going into day three of these Championships. “We have a long history Eric and I, and we all know how much this means to him. As a team we are so tight and so close, myself and the girls are doing this for him as well, he puts so much time and energy into it, he’s just 110% behind us. And he does actually know what he’s doing - this isn’t his first rodeo - I definitely think we’ve got the best Chef d’Equipe here!"

Pole position

Three clears rounds, from Henrik von Eckermann (King Edward), Jens Fredricson (Markan Cosmopolit) and Peder Fredricson (H&M All In) kept the Swedes in pole position. It’s a really special week for brothers Peder and Jens as it’s their first time to be in a Championship team together.

And it’s a really special week for Jens’ horse-owners and his gelding’s many fans because the 11-year-old has a quite a story behind him. Jens works at the Swedish National Training Centre in Stromsholm, and the owners of the cafe there bought the horse for the riding School as a three-year-old. “Nobody thought he was special but the cafe owners wanted to buy a horse for me and because he was too sensitive to use in the school I said I’d ride him and maybe we’d sell him on later. To my big surprise he turned out to be a superstar!”, Jens explained today.

Team France also produced three clear rounds to hold their place, but arguably the most pressured ride of the day was that of anchorman Kevin Staut who took a fall from Scuderia 1918 Viking d’la Rousserie Wednesday. That could have rattled him badly, but like the true professional he is, he just regrouped and steered a perfect run this afternoon when it was really needed.

“I was so disappointed yesterday, it was like what happened at the WEG in Lexington (USA, 12 years ago) but I’ve been to many Championships and I know well that anything can happen. I am a team rider and Team France means everything to me, so I just got on with it!”, he said after securing that second spot for his country.

Smoothest of rounds

Swedish supporters were going wild when Peder Fredricson entered the ring, last to go when the smoothest of rounds with his brilliant 16-year-old gelding saw him secure the team lead while also moving him up to individual third place after Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs dropped all the way to 15th with a fence down. The strength of the Swedes is evidenced by the fact that Fredricson’s team-mate, von Eckermann, is lying individually fourth ahead of Canada’s Foster in fifth while Britain’s Ben Maher lies sixth.

Julien Epaillard’s mare is only 10 years old but is taking the Championship challenge completely in her stride to keep the Frenchman on his zero scoreline. But Britain’s Brash looks a real threat to the leading bunch. Hello Jefferson coped with a tricky moment at the triple combination which proved the real bogey of the day by simply jumping himself out of potential trouble, and Brash looks like a man on a mission.

Talking about his horse he said, “he’s busy and energetic and he’s lovely. He was tricky to start with because he has such a busy brain and he’s strong-minded so he always thinks he knows best! It has taken time to make a partnership - Nick (Skelton, Rio Olympic champion) said he’s an unbelievable horse when he saw him - we’ve had to work to get the partnership right and thankfully it’s come through now. They (horses) are soulmates at the end of the day who we spend most of our time with, I spend more time with them than my family!”, he said.

He decided to bring this horse to Herning because “he was just amazing in Aachen and it feels like he can do anything right now so I was pretty confident coming here that he’s in good shape. But to keep all the poles up every day within the time allowed is demanding - you need a bit of luck along the way as well”, said the London 2012 Olympic team gold medallist.

Everyone will be hoping for a little of that luck when the action resumes Friday night at 21.00 local time with not just the Team Jumping title at the ECCO FEI World Championships 2022 up for grabs but five Olympic qualifying slots also on offer.

Swedish Chef d’Equipe, Henrik Ankarcrona, said his riders want the team gold “so bad that it hurts! But we all know it can fall apart in a split second with a fence down….”

It’s still all very much to play for, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…

Source: FEI press release

You can watch all the action from the FEI World Championships in Herning via Clip My Horse TV.

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